Well, quite a lot has changed in a week.
Enormous things have happened, but one of the biggest things that happened is the transition we're making this morning.
Because if you were here last week, we just got out of Egypt, and today we're just going into Ephesus, which is a massive change.
We've changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
We've changed from narrative to epistle.
We've changed from the covenant community being Old Testament Israel to it being the New Testament church.
We've changed continents from Africa to kind of the bridge between Europe and Asia.
We've changed country from Egypt to Asia Minor, or if you're a 21st century person, Turkey.
And we're going to study Ephesians, and Ephesians is my favorite letter.
So I am so excited to be able to start it off for us this morning.
It is a majestic letter.
It's an enormous letter.
This is what John Mackay, he's Scottish, but he was the former president of Princeton Theological Seminary said.
To this book of Ephesians, I owe my life.
At the age of 14, reading it for the first time, I saw a new world.
Everything was now fresh.
I had a new outlook, new experiences, new attitudes to other people.
I loved God anew, and Jesus became the center of everything.
I had been quickened by this letter, and was now really alive.
And when he came to Edinburgh in 1948 to lecture at New College,
he spent a whole autumn term preaching on the book of Ephesians, and this is what he wrote.
Ephesians is the greatest, maturest, and for our time most relevant of all Paul's works.
For here is distilled the essence of the true Christian religion,
the most authoritative, consummate compendium of the Christian faith.
This letter is pure music.
What we read here is truth that sings, doctrine set to music.
Now one of the things I love to do, being the pastor of this church,
is to sample the many coffee shops there are in Brunsfield.
I have particular favorites, and depending on who I'm meeting and what the purpose is,
we'll go to a different place.
So if it's a normal meeting, we'll go to Costa.
If it's a breakfast, we'll always be at Project Coffee.
If it's a difficult meeting, we'll go to the chocolate tree.
And what I've discovered in the chocolate tree is that they sell chocolate cake,
which is underwhelmingly small.
You get it, and it's like this little triangle.
And you think, 3.70 for that.
And do you know what?
I've been there four times.
Because you're all quite happy people, so the chocolate tree is not needed that much.
And I can never finish it.
This tiny little triangle of chocolate cake, and I have a voracious appetite.
And I can never finish it because it's so rich.
It's so sweet.
And it is so chocolatey.
And if we're not careful, Ephesians can be like the chocolate cake from the chocolate tree.
That we can't finish it.
Because it's so densely packed.
So full of great theological things.
And so we're going to have to go steady.
We're going to have to take small bites at a time.
And we're going to have to chew it properly, or else we'll have indigestion that will last us till well after Easter.
So we've got to go careful.
It is densely theologically rich.
It is like a doxological death by chocolate that is loaded with doctrine.
We're going to be here for 12 weeks.
We're going to do it in two chunks.
And we're going to have a great time and learn wonderful things about the Lord Jesus.
But if I say to you, Moby, what do you think of?
If I say, Moby, what do you think of?
I dare say you're thinking of one of two things.
And it will be largely dependent on your age.
If you're seasoned, you'll be thinking Moby Dick.
The big white whale, the arch nemesis of Captain Ahab.
And the book written by Herman Melville.
That great American author.
Or if you're young, or trendy, or both, you'll be thinking of Moby, the New York-based electronic music DJ.
And if you're not thinking of either, you just missed.
You're just kind of middle-aged and you missed both things.
And the really interesting thing about Moby is his proper name is Richard Melville Hall.
It's his real name.
And the reason his real middle name is Melville is because he is a distant relative of Herman Melville, the one who wrote Moby Dick.
That's free.
You can bring that up over lunch.
But what you may not know about Moby is that Moby is a Christian.
And he was on the front cover of Relevant Magazine.
And this is what it said.
Moby, why he loves Jesus but not the church.
And this is an incredibly prevalent view in our day.
We really like what Jesus has to say, but church is a bit of a hassle.
We really like Jesus, but hanging out with his people is a bit too much effort.
And what we need, if we're not going to be Mobyites, that's a new word, is we need the book of Ephesians.
Because the book of Ephesians tells us that we cannot love Jesus but loathe his bride, the church.
Have you ever had that in your life where you have a friend who gets married to someone you don't really like and it's just awkward?
Every time you have them around for fajitas, it's just really tense.
And Ephesians tells us we can't do that.
If we love Jesus, we've got to love and invest and be part of his bride, the church.
We can't just have one-dimensional Christianity that it's me and Jesus.
We've got to have three-dimensional Christianity that it's me and Jesus.
Me and Jesus' people that I'm called to belong with.
And me and Jesus and Jesus' people pressing out into the world.
Three dimensions.
And so we need Ephesians and it's going to be so helpful to us.
Ephesus at the time of writing is a big metropolis, about 300,000 people.
It's the most important city in the Roman province of Asia Minor.
And it is the cultural melting pot where east meets west.
Dominating the city skyline is the temple of Artemis.
Do you remember in Acts 19 when they chant for three hours,
Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.
And it's a church that Paul knows really well.
We have more about Ephesus over a longer period than any other New Testament church.
Paul brings the gospel to Ephesus in Acts chapter 19.
Luke gives it more column inches than any other city in Acts.
We then have in Acts 20 the tearful goodbye between the Apostle Paul and the Ephesian elders
when they gather at Miletus.
We read in 1 Timothy 1 that Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to curtail and combat false teaching.
Then by the time we get to Revelation chapter 2,
we have a progress report from Jesus himself.
And he says three things about the church.
He says,
And then probably the most helpful thing we have is this book of Ephesians,
this letter that Paul penned to the church sometime when he was in prison.
And it is an incredible letter.
It's probably a circular letter meant for all the churches in Asia Minor.
This verse we're going to read, verse 1, where it says,
To the saints in Ephesus.
That's probably a later edition as the early manuscripts don't have that.
So it's probably a circular letter, but it becomes synonymous with Ephesus.
And it's a letter of two halves that we're going to see.
The first half, chapters 1 to 3, a doctrine.
The second half of duty.
Or exposition and then exhortation.
Or what God has done and then what we must do.
And therefore we're going to fill our lives full of the Lord Jesus.
And then we're going to work out what that looks like Monday to Saturday.
The letter seeks to shape the believer by reminding them how wonderful God's work is in Christ.
How significant their unity is in Christ.
And what living for Christ looks like in life.
So let's dig in.
Let's get to work.
And start reading and not talking.
It is a bit like Saving Private Ryan.
If you've seen that film, there's no kind of warm-up.
The first thing you see is this enormous battle scene.
It's like that in Ephesians.
There's no warm-up.
What we're reading today is like the biggest vista of salvation history you could ever hope to see.
And so we're going to have to really concentrate and hold on to our hats.
It's also one massive sentence what we're going to read.
Verse 3 to verse 14.
There's not one iota of punctuation anywhere.
It's almost like Paul just gushes it out.
But we're going to have to breathe because I can't do it in one breath.
Martin Lloyd-Jones preached 27 sermons on these 11 verses.
And we're going to be done by 25 to 1.
This is what Paul writes.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to God's holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus,
grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with his pleasure and will,
to the praise of his glorious grace,
which he has freely given us in the one he loves.
In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God's grace,
that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
He made known to us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ,
to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment,
to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
In him we were also chosen,
having been predestined according to the plan of him
who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
in order that we,
who were the first to put our hope in Christ,
might be for the praise of his glory.
And you also were included in Christ
when you heard the message of truth,
the gospel of your salvation,
when you believed.
You were marked in him with a seal,
the promised Holy Spirit,
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
until the redemption of those who are God's possession
to the praise of his glorious grace.
Well,
doing that in one breath would just about kill you, I think.
The first thing we see is blessed.
Verse 3 is like the big sentence,
the big theme,
the thesis
that he's going to unpack in the following verses.
It is a doxology.
He says,
this is who I am,
this is who you are,
and his big headline is praise.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He's doing this to worship God.
Praise is mentioned four times
in this chapter in verse 3,
in verse 6,
in verse 12,
and at the very end in verse 14.
And it's a funny thing, isn't it,
that in our world,
people praise the funniest things.
So I thought I was going to be quite middle-aged
and order some new kitchen utensils.
And the only kitchen utensil I really know how to use
is the wooden spoon.
So I was reading a review on Amazon.com,
and this is what one woman wrote
about wooden spoons.
The spoons arrived promptly
and in excellent condition.
I put them to work straight away.
They are absolutely marvelous.
I'm overjoyed with my purchase.
They enhance my cooking experience no end.
I don't know how I survived without them for so long.
These spoons are my savior.
The best £2.20 I've ever spent.
It's incredible praise, isn't it?
It seems so pathetic.
And yet what Paul is praising in this letter
is the only rightful person
in all the universe that we should praise.
There's an amazing wordplay going on.
That word praise at the beginning
is the word blessed.
So literally it says,
blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ
who has blessed us in the heavenly realms
with every spiritual blessing.
We bless God,
we speak rightly of Him,
because He's poured out so much blessing on us.
He has literally given us the kitchen sink.
Just poured it out and poured it out.
And therefore,
and therefore,
Paul says,
speak rightly,
speak adoringly about you.
We bless Him because He's blessed us
with every spiritual blessing.
And He's done it in the heavenly realms.
He's done it in the heavenly realms.
Now what does that mean?
It's a word exclusive to Ephesians.
It is a way of saying
this isn't the only reality.
There is a spiritual reality
above this physical reality.
A larger reality exists
where Christ is already exalted.
Where believers participate in His victory
and where spiritual forces are opposed.
Though believers live physically on this earth,
they receive spiritual resources
and their identity
from this higher plane.
That's what it's talking about.
Spiritual realm.
Heavenly reality.
Literally the heavenlies.
That's what Paul
is praising God
because He's been included
and blessed in that realm.
And so he unveils
four massive blessings.
And the first one is this.
Chosen and adopted.
They're in verses 4, 5 and 6.
For He chose us.
Verse 5.
He predestined us for adoption
to sonship
through Jesus Christ.
Now when we talk about
words like choosing
and predestination,
some people's blood pressure spikes.
They want to throw things.
But I don't think
that it is that unusual
in the Bible,
this idea of choosing.
I think we see it
all over the place.
Abraham isn't having
a quiet time
in Ur of the Chaldeans
and suddenly thinks
I'd really like to be
the progenitor
of a great nation.
And I'm going to leave Ur
and go to a land
that I don't know.
God sovereignly chooses.
I don't think Noah
is studying nautical engineering
at Napier University
in the middle
of the Saudi Arabian desert.
He says,
I think I'd really like
to do a little project
and build a big ark.
even though it's not
rained before.
God seems to sovereignly choose.
Moses,
as we saw in our Exodus series,
isn't chilling
in the desert of Midian
and thinks,
at the age of 80,
I should really set about
the emancipation
of my people in Egypt.
God meets him
in a burning bush
and says,
I've chosen you.
Gideon
isn't thinking,
I really like to beat up
to Midianites.
He's hiding in a hole
as a big wimp.
David isn't the front runner
for ascension
to Israel's throne.
He is from a farming family
in the redneck part
of Israel
with seven more
impressive brothers
and yet God
seems to choose.
Jonah isn't attending
a Friends of Nineveh
peace rally
and decides going
as an envoy
to Assyria
would be a good idea.
Not at all.
He's a bigoted,
nationalistic,
Israelite supremacist.
God says,
I've got a job for you.
I've chosen you
for this task.
Levi isn't sitting
at the dock
at the tax booth
in Galilee
collecting the money
owed to the Roman government
from the fishermen
and yet Jesus
walks straight up
to him and says,
follow me.
Seems there's
some sovereign choosing.
Yes, they obey
but it seems that God
has taken the initiative.
Even Paul
who writes these words
knows this to be true.
He's not journeying
to Damascus
to attend a
Christianity Explored course.
He's going to
put people in prison
to beat some up
and kill a few
if necessary
and yet Jesus
meets him
and says,
I've got a job for you.
There seems to be
on the face of it
some sovereign choosing.
From the mouth of Jesus
in John 15, 16
you did not choose me
but I chose you.
Same for you and me
I think.
If we're believing
in Jesus today
yes,
we put our trust
in Jesus
but it seems
that he initiated
it.
He was pursuing us
by his grace.
That's a really good thing
I think.
It's almost
a much nicer feeling
to be the chosen
rather than the chooser.
It's always nicer
to be the one
proposed to
certainly less nerve-wracking
than to be the one
proposed to
rather than the proposer.
And that seems to be
what Paul
is talking about here.
That God has initiated
he stepped towards
each of us
to offer grace.
relentlessly pursuing us.
And he started
about this plan
before the creation
of the world.
Now I don't care
how old you look.
You weren't there
before the creation
of the world.
God has been
in this initiating
phase
stepping towards
each of us
in grace.
that we might
put our faith
in his son.
Notice that he's
chosen us
for a reason
to be holy
and blameless
in his sight.
That as we accept
this grace
he sets about
work
to change us
to transform us
justifying us
giving holiness
objectively
but then changing us
sanctifying us
to make us holy
subjectively.
notice in verse 5
it is in love.
We're not talking
about a mechanical
celestial lottery
the motivator
for this
is because
he loves us
and he's chosen us
and he's stepping
towards each of us.
Notice as well
this idea of adoption.
Adoption is always
at the bequest
of the parents
I think.
There are many children
who just force
themselves on two
adults and say
adopt me.
And God says
I've adopted
speaking of children
God says
I've adopted you.
I've adopted you
for a purpose
and adoption
in this culture
is a big deal.
It's not only
status being
brought into a family
but it's also
vocational.
That you always do
what your father did.
If your dad was a baker
you were a baker.
If your dad was a fisherman
you were a fisherman
if your dad was a carpenter.
You ended up a carpenter.
Just put your hand up
if you do the same job
your father or mother did.
Not many.
A few.
More than I thought.
But in this culture
you did what your father did.
And so Jesus
is the son
par excellence
because he says
I only do
what I see my father doing.
I only do the work
that I see my dad doing.
And so when he adopts us
as sons
he adopts us
to do what he's doing.
To put his character
on full display.
To mirror what he's like
to the watching world.
God.
I've adopted you
to sonship
to display what I'm like.
What does this look like?
Well surely the first thing
is that we're always
stepping towards people
in grace.
No matter who they are.
Not because they're
meritorious
or virtuous
but because we're
reflecting what God is like.
That he steps towards us.
The first great
spiritual blessing
that Paul says
is that we're chosen
and adopted
by God.
Second spiritual blessing
and these are less controversial
so we'll spend less time.
Is that we're redeemed
and forgiven.
We don't really have
the concept of redemption
in our world.
I guess the closest we get
is when you buy your laptop
back from cash converters.
Or you get your wedding ring
back from the pawnbrokers
if it's gone really bad.
Either way.
Redemption though
is absolutely tied
to slavery.
And the problem
we have
when we think of slavery
is we think of
American colonialism.
But in the Roman world
you could become a slave
for a number of reasons.
One would be
military conquest.
But the main way
you became a slave
is you became bankrupt.
So if I was living
in Ephesus
I'd think
I'm going to open
a perfume shop.
And I open it
in downtown Ephesus
and it goes really well
for a while.
But then competition
increases
and demand decreases
and the bills rise
and there's more
going out than coming in
and I can't cope
I can't keep up.
But I can't declare
myself bankrupt
because there's no
bankruptcy laws.
I can't call in
the receivers.
I have to sell myself
into slavery
until I've paid back
the debt that I owe.
And the only way
I'll get out
is either that I pay
the debt back myself
or somebody
pays it for me.
This is exactly
what has happened
in the gospel.
That we by choice
and compulsion
have sold ourselves
voluntarily
and absolutely
into slavery
of sin.
We've accrued
an insurmountable debt
that even given
all eternity
we could never pay back.
And yet God
steps towards us
in grace
and he pays it for us
but he doesn't do
a bank transfer.
He doesn't use
his mobile phone
to ping it.
He pays
with the costliest
resource
in the whole
entire world.
He pays
with the blood
of his own
son.
And as he dies
our death
in our place
for our sin
he holds out
to us forgiveness
and life.
Spiritual blessing
number two
is redemption
and forgiveness.
Putting grace
on glorious display
God is that good.
Now perhaps
you're here
this morning
and you don't
know this Jesus
you don't know
what it is
to be redeemed
and forgiven
and actually
if you're honest
you think
I don't really
need it.
I'm not really
a sinner
God could really
have no beef
with me.
I'm really
not a slave.
Well I want
to lend you
the church
for a week.
I want to lend
you the church
to put a display
up of your life
and we're going
to display it all.
We're going
to display
every thought
and attitude
idea
and word
you've said.
We're going
to plaster
the whole thing.
It's a good job
we've got such
a big church
because some
of you
look quite old.
Now there'll be
some bits
that you really
want to show
people.
Look at this
this is where
I got my
five metre
swimming badge.
Look at this
this is where
I got grade
eight on the
cello.
Look at this
this is where
I made my
first fajita.
There's some
bits that you'd
be really proud
of and say
come on in
and see this.
There'd be
other stuff
that you would
be appalled
if people saw
thoughts that
you'd had
things that
you'd done.
The Bible
will call that
sin.
It's not just
being judged
by a human
authority
it's being judged
by a holy God
whose standard
is perfect.
If that's
us
there's even
one square
inch of the
wall we
would want
people to
see.
We need
Jesus.
We need
redemption
and forgiveness.
Number three
disclosed and
revealed.
Look at
verse 10
look at
verse 9
rather
he made
known to
us the
mystery of
his will
according to
his good
purpose which
he purposed
in Christ
to be put
into effect
when the
times reach
their fulfilment
to bring
unity to
all things
in heaven
and on
earth
under
Christ.
It's the
word mystery
you see
is where
we sometimes
go wrong.
He's not
thinking
Hercule Poirot
Miss Marple
or Sherlock
Holmes.
It's not that
kind of
mystery.
It's a
secret
that's been
concealed
that has
now been
revealed.
It's something
that can only
be known
by being
disclosed.
Christ.
And the
Bible says
that now
we know
that mystery
now we're
copied
into the
memo
we're now
in the
divine
loop
and know
what all
the world
is about
and where
it's
heading.
Spiritual
blessing
number three
is that we
have seen
the whole
picture.
We've seen
how it
started
and where
it's
heading.
We're
privy to
the entire
eschatological
plan of
God's.
It's again
such good
news.
Because from
the ground
zero of
our lives
it seems
like it's
all out
of control.
Seems like
the news
isn't getting
better.
Human
wickedness
seems to
be getting
worse.
Seems like
it's running
amok.
That there's
no one at
the helm
of the
universe.
We see
ISIS and
Ebola and
Ukraine and
Jihadi John and
Greece and the
financial collapse
and cancer and
Syria and
Darfur and
Iraq and
Afghanistan and
Charlie Hebdo and
child poverty and
child soldiers and
child abuse and
the Danish cafe
atrocities in North
Korea, corruption,
broken promises and
a widening poverty
gap and on and on
and on and we
think it's out of
control.
And yet Paul tells
us that it's all
heading somewhere.
It's all heading
to the point where
God's patience is
exhausted and he
sends the Lord
Jesus and the
ultimate aim is to
bring to unity all
things in heaven and
on earth under
Christ.
That's where it's
heading.
To the time and
place where God
enforces the rule of
his son to rule over
absolutely everybody,
absolutely everywhere.
And the glorious
thing is because he's
made known that plan to
us we can be on board
with that plan before
it happens.
That's what happens in
the church.
This is like a
microcosm showing what
the future is going to
look like.
What draws us all
together?
The fact that Jesus
reigns.
He reigns in each of
our lives and as he
reigns in each of our
lives he draws us
together in a family.
The best apologetic for
the church is the
church.
The people looking in
go what a diverse group
of people who seem to
hang out as family and
yet not many of them are
related to each other
biologically.
And as the world sees
that they go there is
something different.
Paul tells us the
reason that's attractive
is because that's where
it's all headed.
To the point where
everybody who loves
Jesus is gathered
together where he
rules and reigns.
Unity is not an
optional byproduct of
church.
It's an absolute
necessity that we cling
to Jesus and cling
together.
because it makes
Jesus look glorious.
Brings praise from
our lips.
Spiritual blessing
number three is
disclosed and revealed
and lastly sealed and
guaranteed.
Do you see it there?
When you believed you
were marked in him with
a seal the promised
Holy Spirit who is a
deposit guaranteeing our
inheritance until the
redemption of those who
are God's possession.
This is good news.
Because when I believe
in Jesus the Holy
Spirit comes and dwells
within me as the
resident boss of my
life.
And as he comes he
molds and shapes me and
he gives me perseverance
and things like that
meaning that I will get
to the end.
Meaning that I can have
absolute certainty.
When I believe in Jesus
I'm sealed by the Holy
Spirit who dwells within
me who's not going
anywhere and will
ensure and be able to
keep me until the very
end like a guarantee.
Like a deposit.
Like paying a bit of
something up in advance
but quite a big chunk
because you paid for it
in the blood of your son
and you have this
guarantee which means
that there will be a
collection day at the end
when it's all brought in.
Now I know what we
think of guarantees.
Even John Lewis.
We root around for the
receipt.
Still within guarantee
and you take it and you
hold the two things and
look apologetically towards
them and just hope
they're going to say yes
or no whether the
deposit and guarantee is
still available.
This guarantee is
absolutely sure.
It's lifelong.
It'll last you all of
your life.
And if we will but
trust in Jesus
sealed and guaranteed
and welcomed
forever by God.
I went down to see
Ruth last Monday.
So frail and so weak
and yet so steadfast
in her love for the
Lord.
Because she had
absolute confidence
that it wasn't how
hard she could cling
to him.
It was how much
he was holding
on to her.
Because she knew
what it was to trust
Jesus to be indwelt
by the Holy Spirit
and to be sealed
and guaranteed.
Which has been
cashed in
just yesterday.
And she is
welcome forever
in the Lord Jesus.
It's great spiritual
blessings here.
Chosen and adopted.
forgiven and redeemed.
And what are we to do
with it?
Well we're to praise
God.
We're to thank him
that he's been so good
and gracious and kind
to each of us.
This isn't meant to be
theological ranting.
This is meant to
spark our hearts
and kindle praise
from our lives.
The second thing
is all over this
chapter is
in Christ
in the beloved
in him
eleven times
in him
and therefore
what are we to do?
Well if we want to
take hold of these
spiritual blessings
more and more
it's about walking
closer and closer
with Jesus
that all of our lives
would be found
in him
all of our lives
would be lived
for him
that he would take
everything from us
because he alone
is worthy.
Therefore how do we
take hold of this
and become praiseful
people?
By being in him
and fully in him.
Here's number three.
We have absolute
security.
God has chosen
in the past
keeps us in the present
and he'll get us
through to the end
and therefore it
frees us to live
risky, bold,
outrageous,
radical lives
for him.
To go out there
and be the sons
that he's called us
to be
to put his character
on full display
to the world.
To be gracious
and loving.
To disclose the plan
of God
to anyone
we come into contact
with.
Because we're free.
Finally and fully free.
Free to be the people
that God has called us
to be.
Living life
in the light
of these spiritual
blessings.
And therefore I think
we can simply say
with Paul.
Praise be to the God
and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ
who has blessed
each of us
in the heavenly realms
with every
spiritual blessing.
Let's pray.
Father God
you have been so
kind to us.
You've been so
good to us.
Father you've loved us
even though we were
unlovable.
You chose us
even though no one else
would ever choose us.
Because you love us
that much.
Therefore Lord
may this love
be at work
in our lives.
May your spirit
that lives within us
be changing us
and equipping us
and enabling us
to put your character
on full display.
Father we love you
and we want to
praise you more
so keep these things
fresh in our lives.
Sear these truths
on our hearts.
And Father
may we realize
afresh today
that we are free
to be yours.
Maybe for the first time.
Or maybe for the
hundredth and first time.
Father come and take
your place
in our lives we pray.
In Jesus name.
Amen.